Metal foil container



May 7, 1963 c. M. KINGHORN El'AL 3,088,624

METAL FOIL CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1959 INVENTORS H-G. HENRICKSON c. M. KINGHORN ATTORNEY May 7, 1963 c. M. KINGHORN EI'AL 3,088,624

METAL FOIL CONTAINER Filed Feb. 18, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 in :h I l,

I INVENTORS H.G. HENRICKSON CJ I. KiN HORN A ORNEY May 7, 1963 c. M. KINGHORN ETAL 3,088,624

METAL FOIL CONTAINER Filed Feb. 18, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR S L 5 CHARLES M KINGHORN HENRY G. HENRICKSON A A 2 4e [4 46 BY W a J ATTO NEY May 7, 1963 c. M. KINGHORN ETAL 3,088,524

METAL FOIL CONTAINER Filed Feb. 18. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 6 E 000000000 i 000000000 2 i 000%30000 s 5 o INVENTORS CHARLES M. KINGHORN HENRY G. HENRICKSON F g. a 2 ATTORNEY METAL FOIL CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 18, 1959 .MMM M N 5 mm H E mNC 0 l/ T VKR Z T N .N Y 3 AD 6 5 MW M a M States Unite This invention relates to containers. More particularly, the invention relates to metal foil containers of various shapes which may be used in connection with the packaging and merchandising of a variety of products, the container having an advantageous use in the packaging of products which may be solid, semi-solid or fluid and in which protection against contamination and the ease with which the container may be opened are prime considerations. This application is also a continuation-in-part application of our application Serial No. 688,357, filed October 4, 1957 and now abandoned.

At the present time, there are on the market a variety of containers which may be used to package the aforesaid products. Such containers must have several properties, among which are complete moisture resistance, strength to resist pressures, and good heat or cold conductivity characteristics. Finally, such containers must be easily opened, must open without causing damage to their contents, and must open such that contamination from handling of the exposed product is reduced to an absolute minimum.

Accordingly, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide unique easily opened containers which are advantageously made of metal foil as well as arrangements for readily fabricating the same.

The various advantages of the invention will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a preferred form of blank from which the container of the instant invention may be fabricated;

FIGURE 2 is a side sectional view of a preferred type of container and end closures, constructed according to the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of a filled container showing the outer edge of the blank in a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view of one manner in which a container embodying the basic principles of the instant invention may be opened, the dotted lines indicating movement of the container;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the container partially opened;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing the uncoiled walls of a container of the invention being used as a support or cooking or baking utensil for the contents thereof;

FIGURES 7 to 9 are plan views similar to FIGURE 1 showing somewhat modified forms for the starting material which may be used in fabricating a container in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view similar to FIGURE 1 of a modified form of container blank, wherein the blank is ribbed or corrugated;

FIGURE 11 is a detailed sectional view through a completed container made from the blank shown in FIG- URE 10, and shows the manner in which the end closures are applied to the body portion thereof;

FIGURE 12 is a perspective View of the container formed from the blank shown in FIGURE 10 in a partially unwrapped condition;

3,088,624 Patented May 7, 1963 ice FIGURE 13 discloses a modified type of blank to that shown in FIGURE 10 when used as a culinary article;

FIGURE 14 is a sectional view of the blank shown in FIGURE 10 when taken along line 14-14 thereof;

FIGURE 15 is a sectional view of the blank shown in FIGURE 13 when taken alongline 1515 thereof;

FIGURE 16 is a side elevational view of a modified form of container as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, wherein the blank from which the body of the container is made is provided with penforations and a cover tab therefor;

FIGURE 17 is a View similar to FIGURE 16 wherein the closing tab for the perforations in the container has been removed;

FIGURE 18 is a partial sectional view of the container shown in FIGURE 16 when taken along line -1818 thereof;

FIGURE 19 discloses a further modification of the blank shown in FIGURE 1;-

FIGURE 20 is a partial sectional view of the blank shown in FIGURE 19 when taken along the line 20-20 thereof;

FIGURE 21 is a plan view of a blank wherein the edges thereof have been stretched such as by fluting so as to facilitate the application of end closures to the blank after it has been coiled;

FIGURE 22 is a sectional view of an end of the coiled fluted blank shown in FIGURE 21 prior to the application of an end closure thereto; and

FIGURE 23 is a sectional view of the end of the coiled blank of FIGURE 22 at a point of overlap of certain of the Wraps thereof and after the application of an end closure thereto.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, it may be seen that the blank 1, which may be formed into a preferred embodimer t of a container body generally in the form of a plane geometrical figure, in this case a parallelogram as shown in FIGURE 1, has both parallel edges 3 and 4 and parallel ends 5 and 5'. Preferably, though not necessarily, the ends 5 and 5' of the blank are cut on the bias or are cut so as to form equal and opposite acute angles with respect to parallel side edges 3 and 4. The end edges 5' is also cut at one end to define a small apex 6 of a triangle closer to the side edge 3 than to side edge 4, for purposes to be hereinafter described. The apex 6 may be somewhat rounded off if desired.

At a suitable distance a, :as indicated in FIGURE 1, from the end 5 there may be provided if desired one or more bands or spots 7 of a suitable adhesive, such as Pl-iofilm. In the case of food products, the adhesive should also be odor free, non-toxic and one that will satisfactorily resist oven temperatures in the neighborhood of around 325 F. This band may be disposed entirely across the blank 1 and substantially parallel to the edge 5. The adhesive used may be plastic or semi-plastic and it should have such a characteristic that while providing a joint between portions of the blank in control therewith it has a bonding strength which is less than the tearing strength of the foil blank 1 whereby, when the container body is unwrapped in a manner to be more fully disclosed, the adhesive will break rather than cause a tearing or rupture of the foil adjacent the areas where the adhesive is located. In other wor ds, the adhesive only lightly secures or bonds adjacent convolutions of the blank 1 together. The distance d at which this adhesive band will be positioned from edge 5, whether bias or square cut, is variable and is a function of container size in that it is so positioned on the blank that the edge 5, as indicated by the dotted line 1-1 of FIGURE 1, will, as the blank :1 is coiled or wrapped, engage this band of adhesive 7. Thus, the distance d will in all cases be a function of the desired circumference of :a circle, if the container is a cylinder, or of the length of the sides, if the container is rectangular, square, or of any other desired shape since all such shapes may be easily formed. In addition, if the container is formed from a trapezoidal type sheet as shown in FIGURE 7 or in the modified forms shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the adhesive band '7 is provided to engage the inner edge of the sheet at the first wrap in the manner and at a distance from the edge as described.

In forming a container, reference being made to the blank as shown in FIGURE 1 by way of example, the blank 1 is coiled or Wrapped on a suitable mandrel to define Ia tube-like body as indicated by the dotted lines of FIGURE 1, the edge 5, in a preferable embodiment, bias cut, as shown, engaging and being held by the adhesive strip 7. The remainder of the blank wall may be comprised of a series of superposed tightly wound Wrappings or coils, coiled around the first or innermost convolution or wrapping to define a container shell or body with the top and bottom edges of the blank lying in common planes. The shell now formed as a series of coils is then provided with a pair of end caps 16, only one being shown, which caps are preferably formed of sheet metal stock. These end caps 10 also act as the principal or primary means for holding the wrappings in a tightly coiled or immobile condition. These caps Ill are disc or cup-shaped, as indicated by the dotted lines C in FIG- URE 2, and are slipped into the cylindrical shell and are in contact with the innermost wall thereof. As indicated, a portion of the annular walls of the caps it) project outwardly beyond the edges of the wraps of metal foil making up the cylindrical shell. It is this portion of each cap or closure which is subsequently rolled back upon itself to define with the edges of the convoluted blank a true double lock seam 8, wherein the closure edge is rolled under the outer bead of the closure. The edge 3 of the tube as coiled is also rolled back upon itself and caught between the turned back closure edge, the whole seam being compressed to interlock the interengaged elements and to define a leak-proof, pressure-proof and strong seam between closure and container wall.

In order to facilitate the rolling back or flanging of the opposed side edges 3 and 4 of the tube, these edges and areas of the blank 1 adjacent these edges are advantageously previously stretched or elongated such as by providing the blank with fluted or corrugated portions 100. These fluted or corrugated portions create sufiicient flexible areas of metal at and adjacent the edges 3 and 4 whereby the necessary radial expansion of the edges can be obtained when the edges are flanged or otherwise deformed the amount required for satisfactorily applying an end closure thereto such as an end closure 10 and while at the same time minimizing the possibility of fracture or rupture in those areas during this deformation.

Thus, the end closures 10 with the double lock seams 8 securely hold the wraps or coils together and, because of the nature of the material from which the container walls are formed, are essential to assure sufiicient strength to the wall. It will be appreciated that one of the closures 10 is applied after the container is filled. In forming the double lock seam 3 between closure and container wall, it is essential that each and every convolution or Wrap of the wound shell 1 be interlocked as described to assure a liquid tight joint between the end closures and the container shell or body.

With the closures attached in the manner disclosed in FIGURE 2, it will be apparent that the free end edge 5 of the outermost wrapping including the small apex or portion 6 projecting from this outermost wrapping, if the blank has the bias cut ends, will be held against its next adjacent innermost wrap of said container body or shell as may be clearly seen from an inspection of FIGURE 3.

Before continuing with the description of several unique results obtained from the novel container of the invention, it is important to point out several factors which are critioal to the accomplishment of these results. In all cases, the blank 1 is formed from cold rolled temper metal toil, preferably from .001 to .005 inch thickness. The foil is also preferably aluminum foil made from suitable work hardenable aluminum or aluminum alloys. Examples of such aluminum alloys are those designated in the trade by the numbers 3003, 5083, 5086 and 1 work hardenable aluminum alloys. This thickness of the blank and, of course, the length are a function of the desired strength necessary to resist internal forces as well as possible external damage. By using cold rolled temper foil in the ranges of A, /2, or full hard temper, the blank 11 will be provided with the varying degrees of flexibility required for rolling the same to form various tube-like shells, while at the same time the blank 1 will also have the requisite self-sustaining or selfsupporting properties, i.e., will maintain its shape while unsupported as shown in FIGURES 1 and 6. Also at cold rolled temper, foil of the specified range of thicknesses inberently is somewhat resilient, that is, if coiled the foil has a certain amount of spring back and thus would tend to uncoil itself. It is also readily tearable along straight lines. Further, the cohesion between successive layers of cold rolled temper foil is practically negligible as compared with dead soft foil or paper. iThus cold rolled temper foil can be said to have relatively friction-free surfaces. Cold rolled temper foil is also strong in tension and considerably more flexible than, for example, a paperboard of the equivalent strength characteristics.

Considering these properties of cold roller temper foil, and again referring to FIGURES 4 and 5 by way of example, it may be seen that when the first coil or wrap of the blank is made, the adhesive strip 7 will be contacted by the edge 5 of the blank 1 as the blank is curled or wound up. This edge 5 will be held in place and sealed such that the winding or coiling of the blank into successive wraps can be completed easily. The remainder of the blank can then be tightly formed about this first convolution such as to preclude any movement or mobility between adjacent convolutions and acts to lend additional strength to the container body and further to protect the initial wrap.

Finally, the outermost wrap is coiled tightly against the shell, and at least one end closure 10 is applied as has been described. After filling, the second end closure is applied. The end closures 1i act to seal the ends of the coiled body end and also to prevent the inherent spring back of the foil from coming into play whereby the body ill would uncoil much the same as a released coil spring will do. In FIGURE 1, the blank I is shown as being of such a length as to form several wraps about the initial sealed convolution. The purpose of this preferred arrangement is to strengthen the container Wall and, further, to facilitate opening and subsequent use of the container body or sheet as will be described. However, if desired, the container wall may be comprised of a single turn and only a one-half turn overlap, in which case the blank would be cut across the dotted line 11 of FIGURE 1 or, alternatively, made initially of only such a length as necessary to accomplish the desired result. Despite the fact that there is no bonding of the various wrappings of material one with respect to the other, except for the first turn as shown in FIGURES l and 3, none is necessary. In the first place, metal foil of the specified temper and thickness is strong in tension and once the closure members 10 are double locked by the joints 8 to the curled or wrapped body formed from the blank 1, the foil body will eifectively resist internal pressure without becoming uncoiled.

When the product packaged in the instant container is solid or semi-solid, such as frozen juices, refrigerated doughs, which create internal pressure within the container, and other solids, such as perhaps surgical instrumentalities or pads, solidified asphalt roofing or waterproofing materials, some jellies, cranberry sauce, canned meats and the like, the container may be opened in a unique manner.

'For example, let it be assumed that a container embodying the features described above is filled with a dough or jellied product. In the case of a leavened dough, the container generally becomes pressurized by the dough itself. Such a container is also usually refrigerated. In such a case, ordinary opening methods are not satisactory since such products tend to expand under the influence of heat and when accidentally thawed create sufficient internal pressures whereby the container has been known to explode, particularly during opening thereof, and cause violent ejection of the contents. In the case of a pressed meat or jell-ied product, such as cranberry sauce, an opposite problem exists in that suction created in the unopened end of the container tends to hold the product in the container thereby giving rise to a problem of removal. In either case, the container may be laid on its side on a fiat surface as seen in FIGURE 4 to effect this unique opening feature.

The person opening the container then pulls the apex 6 of the outermost wrap outward. Because of the offset position of this apex with respect to the edges 3 and 4, the wall closest to the edge 3 will begin to tear initially and as the container is rolled in the manner shown in FIG- URE 4, the portion of the coiled wall adjacent edge 4 will begin to tear. Put another way the free end edge portion 6 has such a configuration that when grasped and pulled outward a tearing of the outermost wrapping of the wrapped container body will occur adjacent the portions of the container where the container body is double lock seamed to the end closures 1t) and a subsequent uncoiling or unwinding of the container body will occur in a path substantially parallel to the end closores in the manner of a released coil spring due to the spring back characteristics of the foil.

For the purpose of getting controlled tearing of the blank '1, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the blank may be provided with score lines 12 and .13 such that in all cases the container walls will tear in a straight line. Because of its properties, only a very slight scoring of cold rolled temper aluminum foil is necessary to assure vproper tearing of the edges .lines 12 and 13 and facilitate a controlled tearing of the edges while minimizing injury to the user of the instant container during opening.

The wall of the container begins to unwind as it tears free of closure members 10, as shown in FIGURE 4, until the inner convolution is exposed. Then, as clearly shown in FIGURE 5, the sealing line formed by cut edge 5 and the adhesive bond is reached. Because of the qualities of the adhesive, the seal may be readily broken and edge 5 freed from the unrolled container body.

The effect of cutting the edge 5 of the blank 1 on the bias or diagonally as may be preferred becomes apparent. As the seal is broken, one end of the container is opened prior to the other end. Thus, two results are much in evidence. First, the gas from a pressurized product or fluid from a semi-solid frozen product will be released without an ejection of the product, if pressurized, or the fiuid may be poured from this opening as the case may be. Secondly, the container is still easily manipulatable such that the two ends will still roll parallel to each other until the container is completely opened. At this time the ends may be torn away from the unrolled blank and the product is completely freed and rests on the metal foil blank 1, now a flat sheet, from which it may be removed for use.

Having thus described the manner in which the container may be formed and opened, a brief discussion is now in order with respect to the modified forms of starting blanks as shown in FIGURES 7 through 9, wherein elements common to all of the sheets are given the same reference numeral.

FIGURES 7-9 show modified forms for end edges of the starting material blanks. In each instance, the band of adhesive is positioned a given distance from and generally conforms to the configuration given the edge of the sheet, which will be adjacent the innermost wrap or convolution of the completed container as and for the purpose described above.

In FIGURE 7, for example, only one edge 21 of a sheet 20 is bias cut and this free end edge may further be cut as indicated by the dotted line 22 to define a free end edge portion or tab in the manner of tab 6 of FIGURE 1. It will be appreciated too that this sheet may be rolled from either end and, further, that end edge 23 may be out either square or on the bias or diagonal in a manner opposite to the manner in which edge 21 is cut as indicated by the dotted line 24-.

In FIGURE 8 the sheet 30 is shown as provided with an end or free end edge 31 including an apron or free end edge portion 32 resembling somewhat a truncated triangle. This configuration may be provided on the opposite end of the sheet if desired and, as in the case of sheet 20, sheet 30 may be rolled from either end edge.

FIGURE 9' discloses still a further embodiment in which the end or free end edge of a blank or sheet 46 is cut so as to include a projecting tongue-like member or portion 31' having diverging edges 32 and 32. In order to assure proper tearing of the blank, suitable score lines 33, 34 are provided. These score lines advantageously merge with score lines 13 and 12 where the latter are provided. If score lines 12 and 13 are not provided, then score lines 33 and 34 are continued outwardly to the edges of the sheet as indicated by the dotted lines 33 and 34'.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, reference being had particularly to FIGURE 6, it will be noted that the unwrapped container body may be used as a support for the product of the container by folding over the edges 5, 5, as shown in FIGURE 6, or the edges 31 of the blank shown in FIGURE 8. This feature is particularly useful in the case wherein foodstuff F is packed within the container. In such a case, the foodstuff may be heated or cooked, as in the case of meat,

biscuits or the like, directly on the unwrapped container body by simply inverting the body such that the adhesive 7 is on the underside thereof and placing the product on the unmarked side.

In all cases where the adhesive is used with a container for food products, it will preferably be non-toxic, nonflamm-able, and taste and odor-free such that it will not contaminate the product even if the uncoiled blank is not inverted during its use as a cooking or baking utensil.

FIGURES 10-15 disclose a modified form of container and container blank which is designed for use with foodstuffs having a high grease content, such as various meat products. In this case, the corrugated or ribbed container blank advantageously serves as a grilling or cooking utensil for the contents of the package. The corrugated portions also aid in strengthening the package. This modified form of container may be formed from a blank 39 of the type generally shown in FIGURE 1, for example-Le, from a blank having parallel side edges 40 and 41 and parallel end edges 42 and 43 with these end edges being cut on a bias.

The end edge 42 may also have a small triangular tab 44 and the blank may also be provided with a band 45 of adhesive, as in the case of the blank shown in FIG- URE 1.

The blank 39 differs from that shown in FIGURE 1 in that it is provided with a plurality of preferably inwardly directed ribs or corrugations 46. Thesecorrugations also terminate short of the score lines 12 and 13, which may be built into the blank, whereby fiat zones X will be formed therebetween for a purpose to be more fully described hereinafter.

In forming this modified container, reference being made to the blank as shown in FIGURE 10 by way of example, the blank 39 is coiled or Wrapped on a suitable mandrel to define a tube-like body 47. As indicated by the dotted lines of FIGURES 10, the edge 43 engages and is held by the adhesive strip 45. The remainder of the blank wall may then be comprised of a series of superposed wrappings or coils, as indicated in FIGURE 11, coiled around the first convolution to define a container shell or body 47 with the top and bottom edges of the blank lying in common planes. The shell or body 47 now formed as a series of coils is then provided with a pair of end caps 48 and 49. These caps are cup shaped, as indicated by the dotted lines F in FIGURE 11, and are slipped into the cylindrical shell and are in contact with the innermost wall thereof. As indicated in the several figures of the drawings, a portion of the annular walls of the caps 43 and 49 project outwardly beyond the edges of the wraps of .the container body 47. It is this portion of each cap or closure which is subsequently rolled back upon itself to define with the edges of the convoluted blank a double lock seam 50 wherein the closure edge is rolled under the outer bead of the closure. The container .thus formed is also open in the same fashion as that shown in FIGURES 1-5 above.

Although the ribs or corrugations 46 are shown as being so arranged as to generally somewhat parallel the shorter edges of the blank 39, other arrangements can be employed.

The areas X adjacent tear lines 12 and I3 and end edges 42 and 43 are not ribbed in order to allow the side edges 4%) and 41', which remain after the body 47 have been unwrapped, to be easily folded upwardly to form effective side wflls for the cooking utensil formed from the blank 39 after it has been unwrapped, as indicated particularly in FIGURE 13.

Although the ribs 46 may be arranged parallel to edges 40 and 41, it is preferable to arrange the ribs perpendicular to these edges since it is easier to coil or wrap the container body wherein the axis of coiling or wrapping of the blank 39 is parallel to the ribs. If desired, the blank may also be cross ribbed whereby it will have a grid iron design, i.e., it has ribs 46 and 46" both perpendicular and somewhat parallel to all edges of the blank.

In FIGURES 14 and 15, different representative crosssectional views are shown of the configurations which might be imparted to the ribs or corrugations in the blank, though it will be appreciated that other configurations might also be used. In FIGURE 14, the ribs 46 are of the so-called fiat top type. In FIGURE 15, the ribs 46 and 46 are shown as comprising simple inverted V-shaped interruptions of the surface of the blank.

Regardless of what configuration of corrugation is employed, the corrugations find their most advantageous use as grilling surfaces for the foodstuffs packaged therein when the container after opening is flattened into a broiling pan as indicated in FIGURE 13. At this time, the food G having a high grease content is placed upon the corrugations and the grease or fat renderings are collected in the troughs between the corrugations.

Let us assume, for purposes of an example, that the product packaged within the container is pork sausage. As is now believed clear, the container would be opened in the manner shown in FIGURE 12. The unwrapped blank would then be laid fiat and its ends 42 and 43 folded over in the manner illustrated by the arrows in FIGURE 13. At the same time, the flat areas X located intermediate the tear lines 12. and 13 and ends of the flutes 46 are folded upwardly to form side walls. When this is done, a unique completely enclosed and disposable broiling pan is formed.

In the case of a product such as sausage or its equivalent, it is apparent that the fats usually contained therein will fluidize and should, if possible, be drained from the product prior to consumption. By ribbing the blank, it will be seen that the food product G, if placed on the side from which the ribs project, will be spaced slightly from the base surface on the blank. Thus, the fats and grease or other renderings will drip into the valleys or troughs between the ribs, as the case may be, and thus be drained from the sausages or the like, rendering the same relatively grease-free and considerably more succulent than would otherwise be the case.

It will be appreciated too that while the ribs have been described as being normal, i.e., perpendicular to the edges 4t) and 41 of the blank 39, they mi ht be angularly disposed relative thereto and thus form, when both ribs 46 and 46 are used, a generally diamond-shaped pattern.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention and as indicated particularly in FIGURES 16l8, the container body blank, such as blank 1, may be provided with one or more perforations 59 located in the blank adjacent a portion of the edge 5. Thus, when two full wraps 51 and 52. are made in the container body, the perforations St} in the innermost wrap 51, all as indicated particularly in FIGURE 18, will be efiectively covered by the outermost wrap 52. Since this type of container is particularly adaptable for use as one for dispensing granular products, such as cheese, soap powder and the like, wherein a full or partial destruction of the container to gain access to the contents is not desirable, means may be provided whereby after only part of the outside wrap 52 is peeled back, such as the part immediately adjacent the tab 6, to expose the openings 50, this part may be again secured in place to reseal the openings 50 after partial dispensing. This can be accomplished by making a slit 53 either in the outermost wrap 52 or by making aligned slits in both wraps 51 and 52 at a point substantially adjacent the perforations 5%.

The tab 6 is insertable in this slit and upon removing the tab as indicated in FIGURE 17, the openings 50 are exposed and the contents of the container may be easily dispensed.

Another modification of the container formed by the blank 1 of the instant invention is shown in FIGURES 19 and 20. In this case, the container blank 1 is provided with one large opening or window 55 where the container body is to have but one convolution or two or more windows 55 where there are two or more convolutions whereby the contents of the package will be open to in spection by the purchaser. In the case of where two or more windows are employed, care must be exercised in so locating the windows 55 with respect to each other whereby they will be properly indexed or located in registry with each other when the convoluted body 20 is formed and secured to the end covers 10. In the case of this container also, the windows 55 at least are either covered by a suitable clear or transparent plastic material, such as mylar polyester or the like, or the entire blank 1 is of laminated design comprising the aluminum 57 and the transparent plastic material 58. In any event, the plastic material 58 when used should be such that it does not deleteriously affect the food contents of the container and it should also be sufficiently heat resistant whereby it will withstand, without serious deterioration, oven temperatures in the range of 325 F. or the temperatures to which the blank, when used as a coo-king utensil in the manner shown in FIGURE 6-, will be exposed. The blank may also be provided with an adhesive strip 7 if desired for the purposes previously discussed.

Thus, it may be seen that the invention herein described provides a multi-purpose unique container having features never before available in a single container. It will be appreciated that changes may be made in the disclosed device, all of which are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims, wherein:

1. A combined merchandising and cooking container for foodstuffs having a high grease content requiring cooking prior to consumption comprising a body and end closures positively locked to said body, said body being formed solely from an elongated readily tearable self-supporting cold rolled temper aluminum foil blank coiled upon itself to define a series of superposed wraps, the innermost wrap only of which is adhesively secured to the innermost edge of the blank to define a sealed tube, said end closures acting as the primary means for immobilizing said wraps, said blank including a plurality of parallel ribs in the intermediate portion thereof and flat areas adjacent the side and end margins thereof, the container formed from the blank being openable by uncoiling of said body, whereby the resultant ribbed areas may serve as a grilling surface for the foodstuffs having a high grease content that are packaged in said container, and the flat areas adjacent the margins of the blank being foldable upward to form upstanding walls when the blank is unwrapped.

2. A combined merchandizing and cooking container as defined in claim 1 wherein the marginal edges of the blank on two opposed sides thereof are double lock seamed to said end closures and said marginal edges also being provided with stretched portions so as to facilitate the application of the end closures thereto.

3. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said parallel ribs extend transversely of the direction in which said blank is coiled to form said container body.

4. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said parallel ribs extend across the surface of said blank parallel to the axis about which said blank is coiled to form a container body.

5. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said parallel flutes comprise two series of intersecting ribs extending across the surface of said blank both perpendicular and parallel with respect to the axis about which said blank is coiled to form a container body.

6, A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said blank is comprised of aluminum foil of from .001 to .005 inch in thickness.

7. A merchandising and cooking container of the type described, comprising the combination of a ribbed body formed by coiling a single blank of self-supporting cold rolled temper ribbed readily tearable aluminum foil having resilient spring back characteristics and relatively friction-free surfaces into a series of superposed convolutions, a pair of end closures positively locked to said coiled ribbed body, said end closures comprising a pair of discshaped elements double lock seamed to the edges of the coiled ribbed body, said edges having stretched portions so as to facilitate the application of the disc-shaped elements thereto, said container being openable by uncoiling of said body and separation of its edges from said end closures with said uncoiled ribbed body serving as a grilling surface for cooking the contents :of the container upon the opening thereof and said end closures also acting as the primary means for holding said convolutions tightly coiled.

8. A readily openable merchandizing container comprising the combination of a container body formed by coiling a blank of readily tearable self-supporting cold rolled temper aluminum foil having resilient spring back characteristics and relatively friction-free surfaces upon itself to form a plurality of mappings, a pair of end closures positively locked to the opposed side edges of the wrapped container body and acting as the primary means for holding the wrappings of the container body in an immobile condition, said end closures comprising a pair of cup-shaped elements provided with walls double lock seamed to the opposed side edges of the wrapped container body, the said opposed side edges of said wrapped container body having stretched portions so as to facilitate the application of the end closures thereto, the outermost wrapping of said wrapped container body having a free end edge portion projecting from said Wrapping, said free end edge portion having such a configuration whereby when it is pulled outward a tearing of the outermost wrapping of said wrapped container body will occur adjacent the portions of the container Where the wrapped container body is double lock seamed to the end closures, and said container being openable by grasping said free end edge portion and effecting a tearing and separation of the outermost wrapping of said wrapped container body adjacent the said portions of the container and a subsequent uncoiling of said wrapped container body in a path substantially parallel to the end closures in the manner of a released coil spring due to the spring back characteristics of said foil.

9. The container as set forth in claim 8 including adhesive means lightly and releasably securing an interiorly disposed end edge of the blank to an adjacent wrapping.

10. The container as set forth in claim 8 wherein said blank is provided with score lines paralleling said end closures for facilitating the separation of the wrapped container body from the end closures during uncoiling of said wrapped container body.

11. A container as set forth in claim 8 wherein the inside wall of an end closure is of greater length than the outside walls thereof to facilitate a controlled tearing of the wrapped container body from the end closures.

12. A container as set forth in claim 8 wherein the blank is provided with a pair of wrappings, the portion of the blank constituting the innermost wrapping being perforated and the adjacent outer wrapping serving as a cover for the perforated portion of the innermost wrapping, said outer wrapping also having tab means for securing said outer wrapping in place once part of said outer wrapping has been peeled back.

13. A container as set forth in claim 8 wherein said wrappings are provided with windows located in registry with each other and a transparent plastic material covering said windows.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 203,328 Edgar May 7, 1878 219,083 Follett Sept. 2, 1879 679,171 Jones July 23, 1901 1,536,481 Dickey May 5, 1925 1,568,437 Bach Ian. 5, 1926 2,016,988 Cross Oct. 8, 1935 2,063,013 Cooper Dec. 8, 1936 2,076,342 Hildebrandt Apr. 6, 1937 2,164,430 Schmidt July 4, 1939 2,172,864 Calve et al. Sept. 12, 1939 2,186,973 Hothersall Jan. 16, 1940 2,343,550 Grove Mar. 7, 1944 2,558,723 Ayers July 3, 1951 2,629,534 Reynolds Feb. 124, 1953 2,695,847 Fisher Nov. 30, 1954 2,719,662 Minteer et a1. Oct. 4, 1955 2,775,394 Lucas Dec. 25, 1956 2,858,057 Mullinix Oct. 28, 1958 2,901,162 Vallas Aug. 25, 1959 

1. A COMBINED MERCHANDISING AND COOKING CONTAINER FOR FOODSTUFFS HAVING A HIGH GREASE CONTENT REQUIRING COOKING PRIOR TO CONSUMPTION COMPRISING A BODY AND END CLOSURES POSITIVELY LOCKED TO SAID BODY, SAID BODY BEING FORMED SOLELY FROM AN ELONGATED READILY TEARABLE SELF-SUPPORTING COLD ROLLED TEMPER ALUMINUM FOIL BLANK COILED UPON ITSELF TO DEFINE A SERIES OF SUPERPOSED WRAPS, THE INNERMOST WRAP ONLY OF WHICH IS ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE INNERMOST EDGE OF THE BLANK TO DEFINE A SEALED TUBE, SAID END CLOSURES ACTING AS THE PRIMARY MEANS FOR IMMOBILIZING SAID WRAPS, SAID BLANK INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL RIBS IN THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION THEREOF AND FLAT AREAS ADJACENT THE SIDE AND END MARGINS THEREOF, THE CONTAINER FORMED FROM THE BLANK BEING OPENABLE BY UNCOILING OF SAID BODY, WHEREBY THE RESULTANT RIBBED AREAS MAY SERVE AS A GRILLING SURFACE FOR THE FOODSTUFFS HAVING A HIGH GREASE CONTENT THAT ARE PACKAGED IN SAID CONTAINER, AND THE FLAT AREAS ADJACENT THE MARGINS OF THE BLANK BEING FOLDABLE UPWARD TO FORM UPSTANDING WALLS WHEN THE BLANK IS UNWRAPPED. 